Is the decline in manufacturing employment as a result of commerce competitors? Insights from a decomposition.
Determine 1: Employment change from 1997Q1 (black line), change attributable to output change (blue bar) and attributable to productiveness change (tan bar). Calculations based mostly on log variations. NBER outlined peak-to-trough recession dates shaded grey. Supply: BLS Employment and Prices launch, NBER, and writer’s calculations.
This decomposition works off of the id:
h ≡ y – (y-h)
the place h is (log) hours in manufacturing, y is actual worth added output in manufacturing, and (y-h) is worth added output per hour.
The graph reveals that, whereas the employment loss in the course of the 2001 recession is because of output discount — in a Keynesian framework, a lower in combination demand. Nevertheless, the following job loss is because of speedy productiveness progress.
Does this imply that the job loss isn’t as a result of commerce? Not essentially; labor productiveness progress isn’t exogenous. Elevated import competitors may induce accelerated productiveness progress. As well as, elevated offshoring as specialization breaks up worth chains ought to enhance productiveness (that’s, there may be specialization in duties).
So, whereas I can’t dismiss worldwide commerce as the important thing cause for decreased manufacturing employment, the decomposition is suggestive that one needs to be cautious about attributing the majority to worldwide commerce.
